So you want to be an athlete?

[Yaish]

Hi Bud,
I try to practice every weekend, it usually works to every couple of weekends instead. Keep in mind this isn't for strength, this is for technique. Some of the stuff I can actually do in my own yard, mainly the WOB or the Stones.
The WFD, Hammer, and Caber all require that I go to the park. I usually start with stones, getting a good rhythm going. Then I move on to the WFD, WOB, Hammer, and Caber last.

More often, I just do a few each time as otherwise I get too sore after basically running my own games.
I also practice the WFD and WOB with a light weight, as the technique is basically the same and the lighter weight helps develop explosive speeds.

[Alan H]

BTW, for you old guys, uh MATURE Gentlemen...I just turned 50, and my marks there will put me mid-pack here in Nor Cal in the 50+ Masters group. If I don't improve I will consistently take 3rd in most Games out of a field of 5-8.....aka, the geezers class!

[Alan H]

My experience wnet like this...

Stones came naturally. I mean, to get GOOD requires work, talent and strength. However, I threw discus in high school and did shot put as well, and it's basically the same as shot.

BIG THING...this is freakin' important. Do not, do NOT try to "throw" a 16 pound or 22 pound stone. This is NOT a softball. You must tuck the stone under your ear and get it so comfortable in your hand that you can forget about it. You are not "holding" the stone in there, it just sits there. Then, get your elbow up and out. It's got to be well away from your body so that when you push up and twist, the elbow and shoulder stay under..UNDER.. the weight of the stone. If you in any way attempt to throw a stone like a softball, you are asking for major shoulder damage...ruined rotator cuffs, and so on.

Anyhow, I know all that so I just went and did stones. I'm not very good at them, but thjey came naturally.

For some reason, hammer came naturally as well. I'm learning about extension (identical to discus throwing theory) and head placement and where to place the points of maximum torque in each swing. But for starters I just picked the thing up and whaled on it and it just went reasonably fine.

Weight over the bar was also fine. I think this is the event that is the most natural for most people. The two hints that we got from Tim's brother, Bill that really helped were...

1. don't spread your legs way apart. That lowers you a couple inches closer to the ground doesn't it? But you're trying to throw the thing UP.

2. dig deep in the last swing before the toss, and then "wipe your butt" with the weight as you accelerate it up in the toss. If you don't do that, you waste masses of energy swinging the weight out, not up.

Caber

For beginners, half the game is the pick. Honestly, I think you need to have someone who really knows this show you what to do, or see a good instructional video. Contrary to popular belief, you do not get your fingers under the caber and then just pick it up. It's really a "snatch and catch".

How to carry the caber while doing the run up is the next thing. Beginners tend to carry it too low, with their arms nearly straight down. NOT. You want it about navel level or even a little bit higher, with your elbows bent. Balancing that thing is achieved by locking it against your shoulder/neck and making slight adjustments in/out/sideways with your hands, but mostly by moving your whole torso around at the waist. Also, you're going to dance with the thing at first. If you have to walk around underneath it to keep yourself UNDER the caber, do it.

Caber is very much about timing and balance and sensing where the caber is. Being really strong sure doesn't hurt!

Weight for distance.

This is the most technically difficult event IMHO. Like I said, I threw discus for years and then worked out with an Olympic-level coach (I was incredibly lucky to get to spend two seasons with Mike, he coached at the community college I taught at). The 28 pound weight is a LOT heavier than a discus. I remember thinking that I was never going to get the hang of this thing, it was always throwing me around.

Get coaching. Timing and balance are everything. Nine times out of ten if I grunt and heave it, it goes five feet LESS than it I get the spins just right and rotate it out there.

Watch videos online....youtube has a mess of them... and get some help. I've been at this nonstop (except for the last couple of weeks) since February, once or twice a week and I still have a long way to go.

After 8 months of work..personal bests. These are average to pretty good for Class C novices here in California. Actually, my hammer throws are quite good. The others are all average.

42 pound WOB: 12 feet
56 pound WOB: 9 feet
16 pound hammer: 74 feet
22 pound hammer: 62 feet
28 pound WFD: 39' 11"
42 pound WFD: 23' 8"
56 pound WFD: 18 and change

BTW, there's a reason the 56 pound WFD is called the "widowmaker"! LOL

[Alan H]

One last thing....I'm no expert at this. I'm an average Nor Cal class C Novice.

I'm in good overall health, and getting out on the field and having everybody gawk at me doesn't bother me at all. I have no major debilitating injuries...back problems or whatever. I'm a big guy...6'2", about 260 but I'm not all that strong in my upper body, for my size. I've got honking quads and calves, though.

I do OK. I don't blow anybody away, but I don't embarrass myself, either. In general, the guys are really supportive. We all shout for each other and if you beat me with a good throw today I'm the first guy in line to thump you on the back about it. That's just how it is, until you get to the uppermost levels, anyway.

So if you're curious about this, make some gear, get a little bit of help and just DO it. Just do it for one season, even. Nobody is getting famous here, we're just out for fun and to see what we can do.

Oh, and impress the chicks....gotta remember that part.

[DTrain]

WOW! This is exactly what I have been looking for -- a tutorial on highland athletics. Very detailed and the YouTube links are a big help. Alan H, thanks for the link to make your own training gear.

Good work, Yaish and Alan H!

[Alan H]

Check out the videos and pictures at http://www.kiltedthrower.com

Study the body placement, footwork, and head placement of these top throwers for big hints on how to do it all....

[HeathBar]

OK...What would be the perfect kilt for throwing. Please consider the rise, the material weight, the amount of material (4yd, 5yd, 6yd....) and fasteners. Or does any of this even matter?

[Alan H]

OK...What would be the perfect kilt for throwing. Please consider the rise, the material weight, the amount of material (4yd, 5yd, 6yd....) and fasteners. Or does any of this even matter?

I've seen everything from what are clearly *very* nice 16 ounce, custom-made kilts, to wraparound plaid material with a belt on it from Joanne's fabric. The upshot is, nobody really cares.

I happen to wear a Scottish National casual 5 yard, that's from one of those distributors around here that everybody loves to hate. I've also worn my USA Kilts casual, since it's often pretty hot out there on the field, here in California.

One guy wears a nicely made 8-yard kilt made out of black and white cow print material! I"ve seen a couple of utilikilts on the field, too. One guy (who happens to be Chinese!) wears a What Price Glory military kilt! Notice that Yaish is wearing a utilikilt in some of his videos. However, by far and away the most popualr manufacturer at the Novice and Intermediate levels here in California is SportKilt.

I would say that you shouldn't wear your gorgeous 16 ounce tank. I'd hate to have one on and drop a stone on the apron and mess it up, you know? I personally think that the USA Kilts casual is just about perfect for a kilt to throw in, especially when it's hot.

Footwear is important. You want ankle support and you want traction on the grass. High-top cleats are great. The only time they're not is during the open stone throw. That's becasue if you do a South African spin, you need to rotate on your forward foot, when it's planted. Most guys actually take off the cleated shoe on that foot and replace it with a basketball shoe or other rubber-soled, but not cleated shoe.

[Yaish]

Alan has good advice on the footwear. I wear regular soccer cleats, but I have high ankles so high tops dont fit me. I really only need the cleats for the caber and hammer, I like good boots for the remaining events. They provide the ankle support I need and usually more than enough traction.
Wearing cleats for eight hours can also be extremely tiring on your feet, which slows you down by the end of the day.

As for kilts, I really like the Utilikilts because they fit snugly on my hips (no shifting) and the narrow apron means I have just that little bit more freedom of movement for my legs.
Be aware that many people use an extremely sticky sort of tacky on some of the events, and it will likely get all over your hands and clothes even if you don't use it yourself.

I usually wind up with a bit of tacky on my shoulder from the caber, my hands, and then to my kilt from transfer. I don't mind this on my UK or my Stillwaters, but I would be upset if it was a tank.

If you dont like the UK idea, then it's hard to go wrong with a Stillwater Kilt. All the good looks of a traditional, but at a price you don't mind getting dirty.
Sportkilt also makes a fantastic product for this purpose, especially as this is what it was designed to do. Lightweight, elastic waist, and relatively cheap are hard to beat.

[Alan H]

HEADS UP!!! Unique opportunity to see how it's done and get some coaching from top amateur athletes...

The HURST BENEFIT CLINIC

Longtime Nor Cal Master Athlete Wade Hurst has been having a rough year this year. To show Wade and Cheryl that they're not alone and to help with their finances, a bunch of Nor Cal throwers are putting on a Heavy Athletics Clinic...

October 27th, at 9:00 AM
2800 Twitchell Island Road, Rio Vista, CA
Clinic fee, all of which goes to Wade and Cheryl, $50
phone: Morgan Adams @ 925-639-8233, or 925-429-05330

There will be a potluck lunch so bring something to share. The site is right next door to the Brannan Island Campgrounds, so camping is available if you want to. Phone number for the campground is 1-800-444-7275

the big draw....they are planning to have sheaf tossing equipment on hand. I've never gotten to try that! They encourage everyone to bring home-made equipment and training ideas. A bunch of top amateur Class A athletes will coach groups of 3 - 8 athletes in the techniques of each event. You can specialize in just a few events during the day. There's supposed to be a raffle. What they're gonna raffle off, I dunno.

************************************************** *********

I wanno GO...but I can't. My Band is doing a Bar Mitzvah that day, and the Luminous Joan has an evening concert that I'm ushering for. DRAT. I bet a day spent doing this would bump my 16 pound hammer over 80 feet.